Antioch University’s Women & Leadership Certificate program is a transformative experience for early-to-mid-career professionals who are committed to advancing their careers, their organizations, and their communities.

Note: This program will not be offered in 2018. We will post updated information about a 2019 cohort in the future.

Introduction

The Women & Leadership Certificate is a 10-month, low-residency program for busy professional individuals who are ready to take their leadership to the next level of effectiveness, impact and fulfillment. The program is designed to accelerate the advancement of early-to-mid-career professionals, and to strengthen the pipeline of women who are ready to step in to larger leadership roles across corporate, non-profit, government, higher education and entrepreneurial sectors of our community.

This certificate is offered by AU Santa Barbara.

Program Overview

The Women & Leadership Certificate program accelerates your personal and professional success by providing leading edge content, pragmatic training, on-the-job practice and mentoring that supports you in:

Creating an inspiring career plan that continues to expand your confidence, skill, reputation and opportunities beyond the program

The program is an applied learning experience, in which small cohorts of women from diverse sectors learn how to build inclusive and productive teams, while developing and demonstrating greater confidence, skill and impact in their leadership. Students are supported by accomplished professionals with track records of successful leadership, including instructors, mentors, sponsors, guest speakers and peers. The hybrid schedule requires only three in-person residencies, and allows online coursework to be scheduled to fit busy schedules. Application of learning is customized to meet personal development goals.

Who Should Take this Program

The certificate program is designed for early-to-mid career professionals who:

Are ready to “step up” to a new level of leadership (for example, their first management role, promotion to Director or VP level, selection for a Board seat, running for public office, changing careers).

Have demonstrated leadership skill and potential by having led teams, projects or initiatives at school, at work or in community service roles.

Are currently working in a job or volunteer role to which they can apply the learning directly.

Are self-directed, generative learners with a compelling purpose for doing the program.

Are open minded, team oriented and interested in issues of equity, inclusion, and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Can commit to meeting the requirements for successfully completing the program, including full participation in courses, timely completion of coursework, ongoing support of peers, and fulfilling tuition payments as scheduled.

Antioch University Santa Barbara particularly seeks qualified candidates who will contribute to building a student population diverse in gender, ethnicity, age, class, physical abilities, learning styles, sexual orientation, professional backgrounds, and community experiences.

Program Format

The Certificate program takes place over ten (10) months and is structured around three classes, each of which includes expert in-person lectures, pragmatic hands-on skill building workshops, online assignments with instructor-facilitated peer dialogues and focused application of leadership skills in your work or volunteer environment. Each student integrates and demonstrates her learning through the design and implementation of an applied leadership project, advised and coached by instructors, a mentor and a sponsor from an organization that will benefit from the project.

Residency Topics

Residency 1: Leading From Your Purpose and Strengths

Residency 2: Leading Change

Residency 3: Leadership In Action

Core Classes:

The Influence of Gender On Leadership

Theory, Principles and Practice of Values Based Leadership

The student’s Experiential Leadership Project of their design

Three (3) multi-day, on-campus residencies will cover:

Building a learning community of inclusion, accountability and teamwork

Built an authentic leadership brand and presence, both in-person and online;

Designed, gained sponsorship for and implemented an innovative leadership project that demonstrates new skills, furthers your professional reputation and produces positive change;

Developed an inspiring career plan that continues to build your leadership skills and is an expression of your passion, purpose and unique contribution;

Expanded and deepened your network, to support you even after the program ends.

Certificate Requirements

Attend and fully participate in all three residency weekends, held at the AUSB campus;

Complete online assignments in a thoughtful and timely manner, including content review, reflection, participation in online discussion forums and support of peers by offering feedback on their comments (Plan for 2-3 hours/week of coursework);

Design and implement an Experiential Leadership Project that integrates your learning, forwards your leadership goals, is an expression of what you care about most and contributes to your team, organization and/or community;
Completion of your portion of the tuition payments, as contracted.

Admissions

Note: This program will not be offered in 2018. We will post updated information about a 2019 cohort in the future.

Application Requirements:

A complete application for the Women & Leadership program includes:

Complete the online application. (Please note: this program is not offered in 2018 and we are not currently accepting applications)

Resumé

Brief admissions essay: How would you envision this training might impact your life (e.g. career, practice, awareness, personal growth, relationships) and what challenges might you encounter?

Optional: Financial Aid Request Essay

Admission Essay:

Please use the following format guidelines for the essay: 12-point font, double-spaced, 1″ margins, top right header: first and last name, “W&L Program”, page number.

In 1 to 2 pages, please answer one of the three questions below:

What personal experiences and/or characteristics make you a great candidate for our program on leadership?

How would you envision your life (career, personal growth, impact) 5 years from now, after having been a part of this program? What impact would you most want to claim?

What do you see as the greatest challenge, or challenges, facing you and other women who lead in today’s world? How do you intend your participation in this program to help you in making a difference in the challenges you care about most?

Cost & Funding

Tuition: $9,000

Tuition does not include any travel expenses for out-of-town students. It does include breakfast, lunch, special events and networking receptions during residency weekends.

Payment Plans

Individualized payment plans may be negotiated upon acceptance to the program. Please contact Veronica Muñoz in the Office of Admissions at vmunoz@antioch.edu.

Employer-sponsored Professional Development

Many Women & Leadership Certificate alumni have successfully negotiated professional development sponsorship from their employers to pay for full or partial tuition. We are happy to help support and guide you in requesting employer sponsorship, should you be interested.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is not available for this program. However, generous donors have earmarked substantial scholarships specifically for Women & Leadership Certificate students who work in our community’s public sector organizations (non-profits, higher education, government). Scholarships require completion and submission of a financial aid essay as well as an interview with the Program Director.

Transfer Credit Information

Students can earn AUSB independent study credit and $3500 toward either MBA or MAE in Leadership & Social Justice degrees at AUSB. We’ve also had a student leverage their Women & Leadership work for independent study toward a BA degree completion.